Circular knitting machines



Oct. 7, 1969 Filed July 12, 1967 F. H. CARROTTE CIRCULAR KNITTINGMACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet l Attorneys Oct. 7, 1969 F. H. CARROTTE3,470,713

Cxacumn KNITTING mcumas Filed July 12, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 InventorFREDERICK f/E/Y/W CARROTTE M, Hwa, W

Allornry United States Patent 3,470,713 CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINESFrederick H. Carrotte, Leicester, England, assignor to A. Kirkland &Company Limited, Syston, Leicester, Leicestershire, England, a Britishcompany Filed July 12, 1967, Ser. No. 652,838 Claims priority,application Great Britain, July 15, 1966, 31,912/66 Int. Cl. D04b 9/06U.S. Cl. 66-25 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A circular knittingmachine comprising single-butt needles which cooperate with camsegments, each segment having one track permitting passage of said buttswithout causing needle movement and a second track for producingknitting motion of the needles. Two butts on a selector jack associatedwith each needle selectively cooperate with said segments for aligningsaid needle butts to enter the second track when desired, and a lockingjack between needle and selector jack, retains the two butts in theirselected condition. Two of said segments include means for releasing andre-locking the locking jacks and a setting device selects the positionof said two selector jack butts of each needle whilst the locking meansis released, whereby the sequence in which said two butts are set may bechanged during knitting.

U.S. patent specification No. 3,240,032 relates to circular knittingmachines of the plain or rib type having cylinder and dial needle bedsand describes an arrangement whereby the machine can be caused toproduce simple patterns such as stripes and checks, and the pattern tobe knitted can be changed without resorting to rearrangement orreplacement of needles.

In claim 1 of said specification there is claimed a circular knittingmachine having two sets of needles directed substantially radially andsubstantially longitudinally respectively of the machine and camsegments cooperating with each set for producing movement thereof as themachine is rotated wherein all the needles of one set are substantiallyidentical, each having a single knitting butt, and each cam segmentcooperating with the set has a first track permitting passage of theneedle butts, as the machine is rotated, without causing substantialneedle movement and a second track having an entrance out of line withthe first track and shaped to cause knitting motion of any needle whosebutt is aligned to enter its entrance as the machine is rotated, and twodevices are associated with each needle, arranged for selection so thateither will cooperate with complementary cam surfaces on each of the camsegments as the machine is rotated for aligning the needle butt to enterthe second track when desired locking means being provided for retainingthe two devices in this selected condition.

The principal object of the invention described and claimed in Patent3,240,032 was to produce a machine in which the pattern to be knittedcould be set in a single revolution of the machine, and the lockingmeans would then retain the devices in their selected positions so thatthe set pattern could be knitted until it was desired to change toanother pattern.

According to claim 13 of Patent 3,240,032 at least one cam segmentincludes a part arranged to be engaged successively by the locking meansassociated with each needle as the machine is rotated and capable ofbeing set to release the locking means, thereby permitting the devices,whilst they are adjacent to that segment, to be moved between theirselective conditions.

In one embodiment of the invention described in Patent 3,240,032 the twodevices associated with each needle are butts on a rock-able jackslidably mounted in the trick in which each needle is mounted, and thelocking means is a further jack slidably mounted below each rockablejack and having a tail arranged to lie on one side or the other of acomplementary tail on the rockable jack to lock the latter in itsselected position. One cam segment of the machine has a cam which can bearranged to lower the locking jack to permit the rockable jack to rock,and also has provision for mounting a setting device for rocking therockable jacks as they move past it on rotation of the machine, whilsttheir respective locking jacks are lowered by the cam. The rockablejacks of this machine can be set in the sequence selected by the settingdevice in one revolution, but the setting device described wouldnormally have a fixed setting throughout the revolution and so would setthe needles in a fixed sequence all round the machine. In the particularembodiment described the sequence was over a repeated series of fourneedles. With different types of setting device a longer sequence couldbe provided for example US. patent specification No. 3,263,453 describesa setting device using a punched tape or other controller to vary thesetting sequence during the setting of the machine; but whatever methodof setting is used, the machine will knit in exactly the same sequenceat each feeder, and if the sequence is set in a single revolution andthen locked the machine will knit the same sequence repeatedly, and willtherefore produce only vertical stripe patterns or, with suitablearrangement of the yarn colours or types fed to the various feeders togive also some horizontal stripes, checks.

The term cam segment is used in this specification to refer to all thecams in the cam box for the cylinder or for the dial of the machinewhich can be operated to produce movements of the needles and jacks atone yarn feeder of the machine, and is not necessarily related to thesegments into which the cam boxes are divided to provide a convenientassembly.

The present invention is an improvement in or modification of theinvention described and claimed in Patent 3,240,032, and provides forchanging the sequence in which the two devices associated with eachneedle are set whilst knitting is in progress.

According to this invention in a machine as claimed in claim 13 ofPatent 3,240,032 two or more cam segments each include a release devicefor releasing and re-locking the locking means associated with eachsuccessive needle as the needles pass the cam segments during rotationof the machine, and a setting device is provided adjacent each of thesaid two or more cam segments, capable of being arranged to engage andselect the position of the two devices associated with each needlewhilst the locking means is released.

With this arrangement the two devices associated with each needle can bere-set at each of the said cam segments, so that the pattern to beknitted can be varied whilst knitting is in progress. However, if thelocking measn is not released at one or more of the said cam segmentsthen the previous setting of the two devices will be maintained. Thisdiffers from most pattern knitting machines, on which each needle mustbe selected to perform the desired operation at each feeder, regardlessof the complication or simplicity of the pattern to be knitted. Thisselection reduces the speed at which the machines can be operated, sothat even when knitting plain fabrics or simple patterns their speed,and therefore their production rate, are no higher than when knittingcomplicated freehand patterns. With machines incorporating the presentinvention no needle selection is necessary at cam segments in which thelocking means is not released, and the machine can consequently run athigher speed when knitting plain or simple patterned fabrics than when 3frequent needle selection is required. The invention thus provides, in asingle high production machine, facilities for producing plain knitting,stripes or checks, or freehand patterns and the type of knitting to beproduced can be changed simply and quickly. Stripes and checks can beproduced without any patterning device fitted to the machine in exactlythe same way as 'in the machines described in the Patent 3,240,032.

Preferably the cam segment associated with each feeder of the machinehas a release device and an associated setting device so that the twodevices associated with each needle can be set separately for eachfeeder. This arrangement enables the knitting sequence of the needles tobe changed for each successive feeder, enabling the machine to be usedto knit freehand patterns, that is patterns other than stripes orchecks, with any desired pattern arrangement within the pattern repeatarea, which is a substantially rectangular area determined by the num'ber of feeders on the machine and the number of possible selectionsprovided by the setting device.

A preferred type of setting device is a pattern wheel or drum. Forexample the machine may have a number of pattern wheels arranged asdescribed in my US. patent application Ser. No. 652,825 (filed on thesame day as this present application). However, other mechanisms orelectrically operated setting devices could be used.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example by theaccompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is a developed elevation of apair of cylinder cam segments of a circular knitting machine, viewedfrom the inside, and

FIGURE 2 is a sectional elevation taken on the line AA of FIGURE 1.

The knitting machine comprises a frame 1 in which is rotatably mounted acylinder 2 and a dial 3 each carrying slidable needles 4, 5 respectivelyto co-operate with cams mounted in cam boxes 6, 7 respectively, theusual general arrangement for such a machine. The dial and its needlesand cam arrangement are conventional in com struction in this machineand will not be further described, but it will be understood that thedial could be provided with patterning arrangements similar to thosewhich will now be described with reference to the cylinder and itsassociated cams.

The cylinder needles 4 are slidably mounted in tricks in the outer Wallof the cylinder, and below each needle, slidably mounted in the trick isa locking jack 8 and a rockable selector jack 9. The cam boxes 6 aresecured to the frame 1 and for convenience the cylinder cam box isformed in segmental pieces each carrying the cams to cause the needlesto perform the desired knitting sequence at two feeders. As mentioned,the term cam segment is used herein to refer to all the cams associatedwith one feeder. Thus FIGURE 1 shows two cam segments, the cams allbeing mounted on two segmental cam box pieces 10, 11 secured together bybolts 12.

Referring to FIGURE 1, in which two cam segments 13, 14 are shown, thearrangement of the cams in each segment provides cam tracks at fourlevels C, D, E and F, the track at level C co-operating with butts 15 onthe needles 4, the track at level D co-operating with butts 16 on thelocking jacks 8 and the tracks at levels E and F co-operatingrespectively with upper and lower butts 17, -18 on the rockable selectorjacks 9. The machine is rotated in an anticlockwise direction viewedfrom above, the various butts travelling from right to left with respectto the cams shown in FIGURE 1, in the direction of the arrow B.

The cam track at level C provides two alternative paths 19, 20 for theneedle butts 15, separated by a divider cam 21. The path 19 ishorizontal at the level C, and needles which follow this path in anysegment will miss knitting at the feeder associated with that segment.Needles which are caused to enter the path 20 may be raised by clearingcams 22 to cause them to clear their loops and pick up the yarn at therespective feeder, or if the cams 22, which are radially slidable, arewithdrawn from the track the needles will be raised only to the heightof the top of the divider cam 21 and will pick up yarn at the feeder butnot clear their loops, so forming a tuck stitch. After passing thedivider and clearing cams, needles which have entered the path 20 willbe lowered by a stitch cam 23 to form their new loops.

Needles may be caused to enter the path 20 by radially slidable boltcams 24, but if these cams are in position the path 19 will not beavailable and the machine will operate as a simple plain machine. Forproducing any kind of patterned fabric these cams 24 will be withdrawnfrom the tracks, and the remainder of the description concerns operationof the machine when the cams 24 are so withdrawn. In this case needlescan be raised to cause them to enter the track 20 by the inclusion ofraising cams 25, 26 in the tracks at levels E and F, to operate on thebutts 17, and it is only in respect of these cams 25 and 26 that the twocam segments 13 and 14 differ. The cam segment 13 has no cam 25 at levelB so that rockable jacks 9 which are in the position shown in full linein FIG- URE 2 (in which their upper butts 17 are positioned to engagethe cams but their lower butts 18 are moved clear of the cams) will passby this cam segment without raising their respective needles, the butts15 of which will therefore pass through the path 19. At level F however,the cam segment 13 has a cam 26 positioned to engage and raise the lowerbutts 18 of any rockable jacks 9 which are in the alternative positionshown in dotted line in FIGURE 2. This raising of the rockable jacks 9will raise their respective needles 4, through the intermediary of thelocking jacks 8, and cause the needle butts 15 to enter the path 20, sothat those needles will knit or tuck according to the position of theclearing cam 22.

The cam segment 14, on the other hand, has a raising cam 25 on the trackat level E to engage and raise the upper butts 17 of rockable jacks 9 inthe full line position, but the cam 26 in this case is mounted below thelevel P and therefore the lower butts 18 of rockable jacks 9 in thedotted line position will pass by without being raised.

This arrangement of raising earns 25 and 26 at levels E and F inalternate segments provides that when the rockable jacks 9 are selectedfor a particular knitting sequence at cam segments similar to segment 13they will automatically be selected for the opposite sequence at thealternate cam segments similar to cam segment 14, which for manypatterns has the advantage that setting devices are required only onevery other cam segment. However, it will be understood that thesegments can be provided with raising cams 25 or 26 at levels E and F inany desired order around the machine.

The track at level D is for the first part 27 of width sufiicient toallow whatever movement of the butts 16 of the locking jacks is dictatedby the cams 25 or 26 operating on the rockable jacks. In the second partof the track at this level in each of the cam segments 13 and 14 ismounted a releasing cam 28 to engage the butts 16 and raise the lockingjacks 8 sufficiently to clear their tails 29 for the complementary tails30 of the rockable jacks 9, thereby permitting the latter to rock if itis desired to change their positions. Prior to striking the releasingcams 28 the butts 16 of the locking jacks 8 enter a narrow part 31 ofthe track at level D, which aligns notches 32 of the rockable jacks 9with part cylindrical pivots 33 mounted below the releasing earns 28 ineach segment. These pivots 33 locate the rockable jacks during rockingmovement which may be produced by a setting device 34 as will bedescribed. The cams 28 thus release each locking jack 8 from itscomplementary rockable jack 9 as the jacks move successively past thecam segments. However, if it is not desired to change the setting of therockable jacks at any segment then the releasing cam 28 in that segmentwill be lowered to a position shown in dotted lines so that the butts 16of the locking cams will pass straight through at level D, keeping theposition of the rockable jacks 9 locked.

The preferred setting device 34 for determining the positions of therockable jacks 9 is a pattern wheel or a number of superimposed patternwheels. In FIGURE 2 of the drawings a pattern wheel 35 is shown,rotatably mounted on a spindle 37 mounted in bearings 38, 39 on abracket 36 secured to the frame 1 of the machine and driven by a pinion40 on the spindle 37 engaging complementary teeth 41 around theperiphery of a ring 47 secured to the cylinder 2. The pattern wheel 35in fact comprises superimposed discs having teeth to co-operate withbutts at four levels on the rockable jacks 9 above the lower butts 18 asindicated at 42 in FIGURE 2, in the same manner as the butts 24 of therockable jacks 4 described in Patent 3,240,032. There could of course bemore or less than four levels of butts and a complementary number ofdiscs on the pattern wheel 35, and for the purpose of this descriptionthe pattern wheel 35 will be regarded as a single wheel which may haveteeth around its circumference with the same spacing as the needles andjacks around the cylinder 2, and the butts 42 will be regarded as asingle butt. The teeth of the pattern wheel are provided at positions inwhich it is desired that the rockable jacks will be moved to their fullline position and teeth are removed at positions in which the jacks arerequired to be in their dotted line position. When a cam segmentincludes a releasing cam 28 and setting device 34 there is also includeda tapering cam 43 in the track at level E, circumferentially in advanceof the position at which the pattern wheel 35 is to operate on the butts42 but positioned to strike the butts 17 of the rockable jacks 9 afterthe butts 16 of the locking jacks 8 have been raised by the cams 28 torelease the rockable jacks. These tapering earns 43 are shaped to engagethe butts 17 and move them inwardly, thus moving each successiverockable jack 9, after it has been released, to the position shown indotted lines. Immediately after this, those rockable jacks which aredesired to be set in the opposite position are engaged by teeth suitablypositioned on the pattern wheel 35 and moved into the full lineposition. There is thus provided on each of the two cam segments shownmeans for setting each rockable jack 9 into one or other of itspositions, and it will be appreciated from the disposition of the camsthat the selection made on each segment determines the knitting actionto take place at the next segment, after which the rockable jacks 9 mayor may not be re-set according to whether or not the next cam segmenthas its releasing cam 28 raised or lowered. The provision of a number ofsuperimposed discs in the wheel and a number of butts at the position 42simply increases the number of possible selections of positions of therockable jacks 9.

If it is desired to change the pattern to be knitted by the machine thesetting device 34 of any segment may be withdrawn by releasing a bolt 44and the pattern wheel 35 may be removed and replaced by another. Thesetting device can in fact be removed altogether if it is not desired tomake any setting at that cam segment, and in this case the releasing cam28 will be lowered by means of a control knob 45 so that the rockablejacks will not be released at that segment and the tapering cam 43,which is pivotally mounted, will be swung into the cam box piece 11, bymeans of a rod 46, so as to clear the butts 17 of any rockable jacks 9which are in the full line position. The machine can thus be operatedwith setting devices 34 on any number of its cam segments from one tothe total number present and in fact for knitting plain fabric or simplepatterns, once all the rockable jacks 9 have been set they can be lockedand no setting devices are then required, the machine then operating ina similar manner to the machine described in Patent 3,240,032. Byraising the releasing cam 28 and mounting pattern wheels on the machinehowever, it can quickly be converted to knit a freehand pattern, or anyother desired pattern.

I claim:

1. In a circular knitting machine of the kind having twc sets of needlesdirected substantially radially and substantially longitudinallyrespectively of the machine and cam segments cooperating with each setfor producing movement thereof as the machine is rotated, wherein al?the needles of one set are substantially identical, eacl having a singleknitting butt, and each cam segment cooperating with this set of needleshas a first track permitting passage of the needle butts as the machineis rotated without causing substantial needle movement, and a secandtrack having an entrance out of line with the first track and shaped tocause knitting motion of any needle whose butt is aligned to enter itsentrance as the machine is rotated, the improvement comprising aselector jacl associated with each needle, two butts on each selecto1jack arranged for selection so that either will cooperate withcomplementary cam surfaces on each of the carr segments as the machineis rotated and will serve to aligr the butt of the associated needle toenter the said second track, a locking jack associated with eachselector jacl and located between the selector jack and its needle,eacl: locking jack being arranged to cooperate with its associatedselector jack to lock the selector jack in either 01 two positions, atleast two cam segments including a release device for releasing andrelocking the selector jacks in'relation to their locking jacks as thejacks pass the cam segments during rotation of the machine, and asetting device located adjacent each of said cam segments capable ofbeing arranged to engage and select the position of each selector jackwhile the locking means is released.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,019,396 10/1935 Deans et a1.2,764,006 9/1956 Lawson et a1. 66-25 3,240,032 3/1966 Carrotte 66-50 XE3,263,453 8/1966 Carrotte et al 665( 3,315,494 4/1967 Farmer 66--5(FOREIGN PATENTS 1,449,339 7/ 1966 France. 1,005,516 9/1965 GreatBritain. 1,005,522 9/ 1965 Great Britain. 1,116,744 6/ 1968 GreatBritain.

W. CARTER REYNOLDS, Primary Examiner

